1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to clothing and methods for making clothing. More particularly, the present invention relates to lower torso garments formed from garment blanks that are knitted on a circular knitting machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of circularly knit garment blanks in the manufacture of undergarments is known. For example, in reference to a brassiere, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,525 to Richards describes the use of a circular knitting machine to produce a seamless garment blank. To assemble a brassiere, the seamless garment blank is cut, folded, and sewn. Brassieres produced using the procedure of the Richards patent will have a single type of fabric.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,553,468 and 5,592,836, both to Osborne, describe brassieres made from circular-knit garment blanks. Each circular-knit garment blank has a welt at one end with a fabric portion integrally knit thereto. To assemble the brassiere, neck and armhole areas are cut in the fabric segment to define front and rear strap portions, which are sewn together to complete the formation of the brassiere. Like the brassieres of the Richards patent, brassieres produced using the procedure of the Osborne patents will have a single type of fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,060 to Osborne provides a circular-knit body suit with a breast supporting portion, a middle torso portion, and a lower torso portion. The middle torso portion is knit with a cross-stretch that is less than that of the breast supporting portion.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lower torso garment having an integral panty or brief.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a circularly knit garment blank from which such a lower torso garment may be produced.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of making a lower torso garment with an integral panty or brief from a circularly knit garment blank.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by a lower torso garment that has an integral panty or brief, a circularly knit garment blank for such lower torso garment, and methods of producing a lower torso garment that has an integral panty or brief from a circularly knit garment blank. A lower torso garment according to the present invention has an outer layer and an inner layer. The inner layer has an integral panty. The garment is formed from a blank that is circularly knitted with a welt band seamlessly joined to a first fabric segment forming the outer layer and a second fabric segment forming the inner layer with the integral panty.
Other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will be understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.